Marion Hollins' Polo Barn is one of only two remaining historical buildings left standing in Scotts Valley, the other being the Scott House. For those unfamiliar with Scotts Valley, the Polo Barn is on the old Santa's Village site at the north end of town.

Hollins, a sportswoman pioneer and entrepreneur, built the barn and caretaker's quarters in 1930 out of the finest local materials available at the time. While it may be called only a barn, it was designed by the prominent architect William Wurster to house Hollins' thoroughbred horses. In 2009 a development agreement was put into place between the city of Scotts Valley and Lennar Homes that included preserving the barn due to its historical significance.

In November, notice was sent to only the 84 homes closest to the proposed development that the City Council was considering changing this agreement by allowing demolition rather than preservation of the barn. The rest of the city was left in the dark.

The Nov. 20 staff report on the potential demolition states, "Whereas, the developer has established that the historic Polo Barn and caretaker's quarters cannot feasibly and safely be relocated to Parcel D." At that meeting no other supporting documentation or expert analysis from an independent source was supplied to support the statement that the Polo Barn is unsafe. After numerous requests, a cost estimate to move the barn and make some repairs and upgrades was supplied from Lennar Homes.

To date no documents have been made public that substantiate the cost estimates of the developer. Why doesn't the council follow sound business practices for protecting the public interest and order independent reports and bids? The case for demolition has not been satisfactorily made for a structure of this historical significance.

Also of concern is the lack of time for public analysis and comment. The usual public process in Scotts Valley has been to bring forward expert reports and staff recommendations before all the relevant city commissions to allow ample time for discussion, analysis and suggestions. Surely such a drastic change in a development agreement deserves more time for public input. It may be that private donations and or grants could cover a portion of the improvements however given the short period of time allowed for development of these avenues there simply not enough time. What is the harm in allowing more time for exploration?

After a 60-day postponement, on Jan. 15, the Scotts Valley City Council meets again to determine the fate of the Polo Barn. What has changed since the 2009 agreement that Lennar Homes should be allowed out of the agreement to move and partially restore the barn? Why has the public been left out of the process when it was clear the consensus was to save the Polo Barn? Once the Polo Barn is demolished it will be gone forever. Let's have a real analysis of the situation and come up with the best solution for Scotts Valley.